Dear UCSF Community,
June is Pride Month when we celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and honor its remarkable history and resilience. At UCSF, it’s also an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to cultivating a culture of inclusion and belonging in which everyone can thrive, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
There are good reasons for celebrating the progress achieved in LGBTQIA+ rights. In April, the Department of Education expanded Title IX protections for people discriminated against based on sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics. As part of our own efforts, UCSF expects to complete the implementation of the UC Gender Recognition and Lived Name policy by the end of June. This policy ensures that all individuals are recognized with their accurate gender identity and lived name.
Even as progress is made, the LGBTQIA+ community’s fundamental rights—including access to health care—remain vulnerable. A record number of anti-LGBTQIA+ bills were introduced in state legislatures in 2023, reminding us of the importance of supporting the LGBTQIA+ community not only in June but throughout the year.
As we look forward to this Pride Month’s activities and events, I encourage you to explore the many ways to connect with the UCSF queer community and its allies. The LGBT Resource Center and LGBTQ Committee will have a table at the Staff Resource Days resource fair on June 6 at Mission Bay. I also encourage all to register to join the UCSF contingent at the San Francisco Pride Parade on June 30.
Please visit the LGBT Resource Center Pride 2024 webpage for the full calendar of events and much more as we celebrate our LGBTQIA+ colleagues and friends this June.
I invite all of you to join me in recognizing the diversity and leadership of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Sincerely,
Renée Navarro, MD, PharmD
Vice Chancellor
Chief Diversity and Outreach Officer
Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care
